Chapter 11 – Double Trouble
Asuka scowled at the door to the entrance of the classroom she'd been assigned to. It was asinine. She had a college degree for heaven's sake! Just because she wasn't that good at reading kanji didn't mean she should be forced to attend a damn middle school again! It was insulting, a slap in the face, a dishonor, a... She took a deep breath and steadied herself. She was here and she had to deal with it until the end of the blasted Angel war. Might as well make the best of it...
She pressed through the door of the classroom and stood at the front of the room. Before the teacher had a chance to introduce her she snatched up a piece of chalk and wrote her name in large roman letters on the board. She turned back to the student body, who were now all staring at her with looks of curiosity and bewilderment. "I'm Asuka," she declared with a forced smile. "Asuka Langely Soryu."
It took all of her willpower not to turn up her nose at the looks she was starting to get from all the boys in the class. Immature fools the lot of them... "Soryu-san is here from Germany," the teacher spoke. "Please, do make her feel welcome."
A girl with pigtails stood up. "Welcome, Soryu-san," she said, gesturing toward a desk adjacent to one of the only boys that hadn't been salivating over her attractiveness. "Please, have a seat."
"Why thank you," she replied, retaining her fake grin as she finished her survey of the room. She walked to the desk and sat down keeping her movements graceful, flawless. She had to be flawless, perfect even. She was better than these peons around her, she was an Eva pilot after all. Speaking of Eva pilots, she noted when she walked into the class that Rei was sitting towards the back of the room and she knew from what she'd heard from Misato that Shinji Ikari, the Third Child, was also in her assigned class. She couldn't help but wonder... which one of the boys could he be?
She glanced around the room again. From what little Rei had described of him, she could assume that he wasn't one of the ones that were still staring at her with infatuated gazes. That certainly narrowed the prospects down. She glanced at the slender boy sitting just in front of her. He was one of the ones who hadn't been drooling over her, could it be him? No... he was too scrawny to be an Eva pilot.
Asuka pushed any thoughts about which boy might be the Third Child out of her mind and turned back toward the blackboard. Class was due to start soon. No more than a few minutes later did the girl with pigtails stand up and command the class to attention. Asuka didn't really understand why Japanese schools felt the need to have a class representative but it was not her place to make any comment. She stood and bowed like every other idiot in the room.
She sat down and tried desperately not to frown when the teacher started a boring lecture on stuff she already knew plenty about. She'd forgotten just how much she'd hated middle school...
It was now lunch time and Rei moved to sit with Ikari-kun, Suzuhara, and Aida in the back of the classroom. Aida had been insistent of hearing the story of her battle and he'd been ecstatic when she regaled them of her little adventure on the high seas. Now, as lunch drew towards it end, she sad silently while Ikari-kun talked with the other two. Normally she would pay attention and occasionally contribute to the conversations they had but today she was swimming in her thoughts as she had been doing quite often as of recently.
Watching Asuka's introduction had been... interesting. Even though she'd shown her a softer side of herself on the Over The Rainbow, seeing her at moments like this served to remind her of how big her ego could get.
She stared down at the bowl of miso that Ikari-kun had so graciously brought for her and bit her lip as she thought about the future. Though Asuka Langley Soryu was now her friend and ally it didn't change much about her desperate game of secrets to defeat the commander and she knew it. She was still without any real plan to thwart him other than appealing to his humanity through his affections for Ikari-kun. This was certainly a problem as time continued its march...
Thinking of other aspects of the future, the Seventh Angel was right around the corner, which meant that Asuka would be assigned to live with Ikari-kun at NERV very soon. After that the Second Child would be moving in with him at Misato's apartment. The knowledge of those future events filled her with all sorts of negative feelings. She felt... jealous that Asuka got to live with Ikari-kun while she was stuck living in a slum. She also felt jealous that in all likelihood Ikari-kun and the Second Child would become close as they had been in the past reality. That thought in particular filled her with anxiety and fear for a reason she could not place. Rationally they shouldn't exist and yet they remained. Why? Why did she feel like this? What did it mean?
"Hey, Wonder-girl, how's it going?" Asuka's voice shook her from her trance. She looked up to regard the redhead's smirking face and the girl standing over her with her hand on the back of her chair. "What are you doing sitting with these losers? Aren't you gonna introduce me to the Third Child?"
Rei blinked. This was it, the first meeting between the pair... She slowly turned toward Ikari-kun who looked like a deer in the headlights. "I- I'm the Third Child," he stammered.
Asuka took on a surprised expression, her eyebrows furrowing as if she was incredulous that Ikari-kun was speaking the truth. "You?" she asked, her tone dripping with doubt. "Really? You?"
Ikari-kun nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "Why?"
Asuka glanced over at Suzuhara, a disappointed frown appearing on her face. "Even this jockstrap looks more like an Eva pilot than you do," she said. "Jeez, I thought you'd at least be taller..."
Rei chose that moment to interject. "Expectations seldom match reality, Soryu," she said, making sure to refer to her as her surname instead of her given. Hopefully she would get the hint that her haughtiness was starting to annoy...
Asuka sighed before turning back to Ikari-kun and grinning. "Well I hear good things about you. Even though you're a complete rookie, let's get along," she said.
"Hey, that's not fair," Suzuhara spoke. "Shin-man's killed three Angels so far."
"Yeah, what he said," Aida added.
Asuka looked them over and her eyes narrowed. "Oh... I see..." she murmured. She turned her attention to Suzuhara. "Are you two that pair of idiots that got involved in that one Angel battle because four-eyes here wanted to film it?"
Suzuhara glared at Asuka. "Yeah, so?" he growled.
Asuka completely ignored the track suited boy's comment and turned back to her. "After that crap they pulled, you're friends with these morons?"
For the life of her, she would never understand Asuka's need to put others down. She was not nearly as close with them like she was with Ikari-kun but she did not mind their company. Why was Asuka being so hostile? "We are friendly, yes," she replied.
Asuka turned to Ikari-kun. "And you?" she asked. "What do you see in them?"
Ikari-kun looked down at the floor. Rei felt the urge to try and defuse the situation but words failed. Anything she could say might cause problems in future so... she just shoved her annoyance and growing anger down. Then Ikari-kun spoke... "We didn't start out as friends. Actually the first time I met him, Touji hit me..." he said nervously. "I- it was the incident where they ended up in the Eva with me that helped us become friends at all."
Asuka gave him a hard look before shaking her head and grinning. "That's a pretty stupid way to become friends," she commented.
"Hey, who are you to judge?" Suzuhara snapped.
Asuka immediately glared at him. "I wasn't talking to you, pig," she bit back. "I saw the way you were looking at me when I introduced myself today, you pervert! Drooling, like the dog you are!"
Before the situation could deteriorate further, Rei stood from her seat. She'd had enough of the redhead's prideful derisiveness and she could no longer sit idly by without saying something. "Pilot Soryu, may I speak with you in the hallway?" she asked with a stern tone of voice and giving her a look that showed she meant business.
Asuka looked surprised for a moment before wrinkling her nose and frowning. "Fine," she grumbled.
Rei wasted no time and strode with purpose toward the classroom's exit with Asuka following close behind her.
Shinji watched as the two girls left the room. Soryu was certainly... abrasive. Still, even if she seemed quite prideful it was nice to have another pilot at NERV. From what he'd heard, her skill at piloting her Eva was second to none which she'd displayed right up until the last Angel had knocked her into the sea. This was certainly a good thing in regards to future fights, having someone with her skill level. However... after seeing how she acted as a person, he couldn't help but worry how she'd behave in combat as part of a team. He knew first hand how recklessness could result in grave mistakes being made. Even though things had ultimately turned out alright, his second and third combat sorties had driven that fact home. He frowned. Look at me... he thought. I dislike piloting and yet the more time that passes I end up thinking more and more like a soldier. How ironic...
"Man, what a piece of work..." Touji remarked, crossing his arms.
"I'll say..." Kensuke muttered. "She looks pretty cute but man is she full of herself... What do you think, Shinji-kun?"
Shinji shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really have an opinion," he replied. Lies...
Kensuke sighed and let out a wry chuckle. "Typical Shinji..." he replied before glancing at Touji with a smirk. "Tell you what though, Ayanami sure is something when she gets angry, huh Touji-kun?"
Touji snickered. "I'll say, Shinji, your girlfriend is kinda scary when she's angry," he commented with a teasing grin.
Shinji felt his cheeks starting to burn from the embarrassment elicited from that statement. "Sh- she's not my girlfriend!" he stammered.
"Oh come on," Kensuke pressed. "You're always walking to and from school with her and then she's always spending time at your apartment. I'm surprised you haven't asked her out yet!"
"Yeah man, same," Touji added.
Shinji crossed his arms and scowled. Yeah, she was quite attractive and he enjoyed her company but still... trying to get any closer would be disastrous, right? Eventually everyone he ever trusted ended up hurting him, why would she be any different? Eventually everyone realized how worthless he was and abandoned him just like his father... It would be better not to get involved with anyone romantically if that was what was bound to happen, especially her. If he were to date Ayanami and she were to push him away... No. He'd never risk that... "We're just friends," he grumbled. "Stop teasing me..."
Touji frowned. "Well, if you're not dating how come you spend so much time together?" he asked. "Like Kensuke said, you're with her more days than not."
Shinji stared down at his bento box. Why did answering that question feel so difficult to do? Why did he not want to answer it? Still, he knew he couldn't lie to them. They'd just keep badgering him until he spat it out... "I... feel like she get me," he replied weakly. "I feel like she... understands me. That's all..."
Kensuke chuckled. "So all the more reason to ask her out," he replied. "And I bet she thinks of you the same way. Come on man, before you came around she never talked to anyone. Doesn't that say something?"
Touji nodded in agreement with a teasing smirk. "It definitely does," he remarked.
Shinji felt his cheeks heating up again. Were they trying to imply that Ayanami had a... crush on him? No! No way! That was a ridiculous notion... Ayanami or anyone else having an infatuation with someone like him? Preposterous! "Wh- wha- what does that even mean!?" he sputtered.
Kensuke and Touji both guffawed with Touji nearly falling out of his seat. Shinji scowled at them angrily. It wasn't nice that they were laughing at his expense... "He just doesn't get it, does he?" Kensuke voiced, wiping his eyes as he composed himself.
"Yeah," Touji replied. "He really doesn't, does he?"
At this point he was quite flustered and he'd had enough of the pair teasing him and laughing at his expense. Shinji snatched up his bento box and stood up. "I've had enough. I don't have to take this..." he muttered before stalking back to his regular assigned seat to finish his lunch...
"What?" Asuka asked, leaning against the wall in the hallway and crossing her arms defensively.
It had been an impulsive choice to pull her away from the boys. Rei hadn't really given much thought as to what to say to the redheaded girl after leaving the room. All she knew was she wanted to make it clear that Asuka's rude behavior was not something she was willing to tolerate in regards to Ikari-kun or his friends. Now that she thought about it... his friends has sort of become friends by extension. She found it strange to think about things like that, but it was the truth... She stood firm as she faced Asuka's harsh expression and made her case. "I would like you to refrain from antagonizing Ikari-kun or his friends," she stated flatly.
Asuka's expression turned to one of bewilderment. "What do you mean?" she retorted. "I wasn't being mean to Ikari. His friends deserved what I said to 'em! Those morons almost cost him a battle right?"
She did have a point that their actions were indeed regrettable but that was beside the point. She stood her ground and her stern look didn't waver. "Irregardless, your commentary is unwelcome," she returned.
"Come on, can you admit that what those two did was pretty stupid at least?" Asuka replied, her tone still filled with venom.
"They know," Rei rebutted evenly. "Misato-san was sure to explain the severity of their mistake in its aftermath."
Asuka opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, pointing an accusatory finger in her direction, but whatever she was going to say was withheld. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, tucking her chin with a scowl. "Fine, whatever..." she grumbled.
Rei studied the redheaded girl, unsure of how to continue their conversation or if she even should. Even after the relatively positive experience she'd had onboard the Over The Rainbow, it was still hard to talk with her. That said, she also was starting to get a better grasp as to what made her tick. Moreover, she knew that often times when people take out their anger on others that it is because of some underlying insecurity or frustration. After a long pause she spoke. "Is there something else on your mind?" she asked quietly.
Asuka glared at her but she remained calm. After a moment her unlikely friend's expression softened and she let out a sigh, looking away. "How could you tell?" she asked.
"You have no reason to be hostile to them," Rei replied flatly. "Therefore something else must be bothering you."
Asuka laughed wryly. "Damn, Wonder-girl, what are you a shrink?" she returned with a sneer, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Rei once again stood her ground, saying nothing and awaiting her to continue.
After a few moments Asuka's sneer fell into a frown and her eyes softened. "Yeah..." she replied softly. "You're right. I've been in a bad mood all morning..."
"What for?" Rei inquired.
Asuka frowned and clutched at the sleeves of her uniform."Cuz I have to be here in this stupid school, that's why!" she growled. "I have a goddamn college degree and NERV finds it necessary to send me to some stupid middle school? It's so stupid!"
Rei could understand that frustration. Even if she did not have any form of higher education she also found Tokyo 3 Municipal Junior High rather boring to attend. That said, it was no reason to lash out at others. "I see..." she replied.
"Yeah," Asuka huffed. "So you get why I'm frustrated?"
Rei nodded. "I do," she returned before making her point. "But it is no reason for aggression toward Ikari-kun or his friends."
Asuka bared her teeth angrily and looked down at the floor. After a moment she relaxed. "You're right," she muttered. "I hate that you're right but you're right. I'm not apologizing though, I have my pride to think about..."
Rei wasn't sure about what to say in response to that and a silence fell between the two girls. From what she knew about Asuka, her pride was certainly an issue for her. It was something that had caused her downfall in the past. That would certainly be something that the pilot of Unit 02 would be forced to grapple with in the future. Rei only hoped it wouldn't lead to such catastrophic events as what happened in the past timeline. Perhaps her newly established friendship with the redhead could help in preventing those things...
Memories of seeing Ikari-kun waiting at the girl's bedside after the Tenth Angel's psychological torment flashed in her mind's eye. Rei remembered the words of the Eleventh Angel shortly before she'd died for the second time. As horrible as it was, those words still had a ring of truth. Even though she no longer found the Second Child detestable she still felt... jealousy. She and Ikari-kun would be living with each other soon. The idea was uncomfortable and saddening. Perhaps the Angel had been right... she did only want Ikari-kun to see her... What did that mean?
A voice captured their attention. "Hey Soryu-san, Ayanami, lunch is almost over," Class Representative Horaki said as she poked her head out of the classroom.
"Alright, thanks for letting us know, Hikari," Asuka replied with a smile, any evidence of her anger or frustrations erased in an instant.
When the day ended Asuka immediately made a beeline for the school's front entrance. Thankfully the day was over... When she thought honestly about it, going to school again wasn't completely terrible. It was definitely an annoyance but not one that was insurmountable. It was incredibly annoying and downright infuriating that she was already receiving love letters to her locker though. If that kept up it was seriously going to piss her off. If the dregs at this school thought they had a shot they had another thing coming!
She took a deep breath and put that out of her mind If she was being forced to attend school again then she might as well learn to enjoy it. At least she had Rei and the Third Child relate to during the experience, even if Rei made her a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't that she disliked the blue haired girl, she did consider her a friend, it was just that... well, who would want to have their actions called out when they're trying to assert dominance? So what if Rei more than likely had a crush on Ikari, him and his friends had needed to know she was top dog!
Speaking of the Third, she still couldn't believe that that scrawny and quiet kind was really him. She'd honestly expected someone at least a little more formidable in appearance. As she'd said, he was nearly the exact opposite of what she'd expected an Eva pilot to be. When she'd stood over him she'd thought for a moment that he was going to cower like a scared puppy and yet he had three Angel kills to his name! It was certainly hard to believe considering his timid personality. What does Rei see in him? She asked herself.
"Soryu-san," the voice of the class representative shook her from her inner thoughts just as she reached the school's gates.
She turned to face the freckled girl. "Oh, hey there Hikari," she greeted with a grin. "Need something?"
Hikari's eyes widened and she looked a little nervous. Asuka wanted to frown at her but she resisted it. She knew that she could have an intimidating effect on people, she owned that about herself. "Hey Soryu-san, even though it's your first day I was wondering if you were enjoying school here?" she asked.
As much as she would love to tell the truth that it bored the shit out of her, she resisted. "It's fine," she replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering," the freckled girl returned. "I'm the class rep, so it's my duty to check up on everyone in our class."
Asuka chuckled. "Jeez, Hikari, you really take your job seriously, huh?" she replied with a playful grin.
Once again Hikari seemed to wince and her words. "You know, it's kinda forward to just call someone by their given name..." she stated softly.
Now it was Asuka's turn cringe outwardly as she realized her mistake. In Germany it was common to call someone by their first name but in Japan it was really only something used between friends or with someone close. To Hikari, she must have been coming off like a typical gaijin... She smiled apologetically. "Sorry," she replied. "I'm used to living in Germany. It's normal there."
Hikari looked surprised. "Really?" she asked. "That's so strange!"
Asuka shrugged. "It's the truth," she replied. Then a though occurred to her... "So you wouldn't mind if I called you by your first name if we were friends, huh?"
Hikari gave her a lopsided grin. "Well... I guess not," she returned earnestly.
Asuka smirked back. Yes indeed... it would be quite a status boost to be closer with the class rep, certainly something befitting of the best Evangelion pilot in the world. "Then let's be friends!" she exclaimed cheerfully.
Hikari smiled, this time a genuine one. "I don't see why not," she replied.
Asuka's smirk grew. "Awesome," she said. "So, what's there to do around here in Tokyo 3?"
Hikari laughed. "Well, I guess I could give you a little tour."
Asuka nodded. It would be better than having to go back to the apartment she'd been assigned in NERV central. When Kaji was away there was literally nothing to do and no one to talk to and he was gone more often than not these days... If only he could see her as a real woman then maybe he'd stay in more... For now though, considering how her day had been, she needed a bit of a distraction.
"Sounds good," she replied. "Lead the way."
Ritusko Akagi was stressed. She was always stressed but now she was more so than ever. The amount of work that had been dumped on her due to a simple conversation was truly staggering. She sat at her computer in her officer typing furiously, only pausing momentarily to light a cigarette. If she were to keep up the amount of work that Gendo wanted her to accomplish she'd need to buy a second ash tray. It would be worth it if he would just notice her for her efforts...
"Can it be done?" was the poignant question levied by the commander to her earlier in the day in regards to moving up the timetable for the Evangelion autopilot that she'd been developing otherwise known as the Dummy System. The answer she'd given had been a yes but the testing parameters still needed quite a bit of development. There were still thousands of lines of code that needed to written, hardware that needed to be constructed, and preliminary testing for all of it. Though she'd agreed to speed up the process, at most they might gain six weeks of advancement in the schedule at most, and that was if they pulled all the stops and safety precautions. It was something she felt Gendo did not have a concept of. Though he was a gifted scientist himself it was common knowledge that he'd not been in charge of a lab since NERV was GEHIRN. As much as she hated to say it, in some ways the man was out of touch with his staff. As unpleasant as it would be for him to learn, the process of creation cannot be rushed because one wishes it.
She leaned back in her chair and blew a plume of smoke high into the air. It was times like this where she really doubted her choices of putting her career over anything else. Working late into the night to prove her own capabilities reminded her of her mother, something she both relished and reviled in equal parts. She stared blankly up at the ceiling fan above her desk and sighed. "Looks like I really am turning into you, huh mom?" she murmured softly to the empty room.
Nothing and no one replied to her lonely comment. She frowned and leaned forward, propping her elbows on her desk. Thankfully she'd gotten in touch with Misato earlier in the day to drop by her apartment and feed her cats. It was doubtful that she would be home any time soon to take care of them. Ritsuko took one more pull of the cigarette and snubbed it in the overflowing pile of butts in her ashtray and continued furiously typing away. Procrastination and reminiscence would do little to accomplish her goal and she had a serious job to do.
Still, it would make it easier if Gendo would just... notice her. That was another thing she detested about herself, that she had fallen for the same man her mother had. She'd witnessed the two when she was younger and been disgusted by her mother but... after getting to know Gendo and his steely determination and grit, she'd grown to admire him and wish he that he would hold her the same way. He didn't and he wouldn't, a part of her knew that he would never love her the same way he had his precious Yui, but she still held out hope... Hell, it was half the reason she worked as hard as she did, to be noticed, by the world and by him...
She chuckled to herself and sipped her coffee. "The things I do for love..." she grumbled.
It was a typical morning. Rei awoke to the sounds of construction outside of her building and began her day as she usually did. She made herself a breakfast of instant noodles, showered, brushed her teeth, and got dressed in silence before leaving her apartment as quickly as she could. She'd grown to despise her one room flat and had been making sure to spend as little time there as possible. Misato's apartment was much more welcoming. It had been a couple days since the battle with the Sixth Angel at sea and soon the Seventh would arrive... After that Asuka would be living with Ikari-kun in that cozy apartment while she would be remaining in her dingy, dark, and unwelcoming abode. The thought filled churned her stomach with jealousy...
The walk to Ikari-kun's apartment was a blur as she played over the events of the last time the twin Angel attacked. If things happened the way that she remembered, the pair would be living at NERV during the training regimen that Misato would assign them. After that, at some point during the training she would be asked to synchronize with Ikari-kun after Asuka would protest that he was hopeless. It was such a cruel thing that her Eva was still undergoing repairs... it would be nice to be able to stay with Ikari-kun even if it was only temporary...
As was usual, she rang the doorbell and waited for him to answer his door which did not take him very long to do. "Hey there, Ayanami," he greeted with a smile.
It was nice seeing him smile. It was becoming more common which she very much enjoyed. "Good morning, Ikari-kun," she replied with a soft smile of her own. "Shall we start our trek?"
Ikari-kun nodded. "Sounds good," he replied warmly.
They started walking in silence side by side. This part of her day had very much become her favorite part. Going to school together even when they didn't talk much soothed her. It kept her mind off of the desperation in all other aspects of her current existence.
Speaking of that desperation, it was starting to weigh on her that she had still not figured out a way to nudge Ikari-kun closer to Commander Ikari. It also weighed on her that in so far as the present this was still the most effective means she had devised to accomplishing her ends. Her scenario certainly needed a lot of work to facilitate success but the time to refine it was rapidly running out... This thought terrified her. That fear wore on her psyche and she'd noticed she wasn't getting the same quality of sleep that she used to, leaving her feeling somewhat tired in the morning. Hopefully she could figure out something soon or perhaps the proper moment to act would reveal itself in the near future...
"You look tired," Ikari-kun stated softly as they turned a corner.
He sounded concerned. She liked that he was able to pick up on her subtle changes in mood and appearance. It made her feel warm that she could just be herself and relax when she was around him. "I didn't sleep well," she replied.
"I can relate," he returned softly. "I usually don't sleep very well either. Something on your mind?"
She gazed down at the lines of the sidewalk flowing past as they walked and frowned. She truly hated how she couldn't tell him about her deepest anxieties and fears when she desperately wanted to. "I worry about the future," she replied. "That is all..."
He chuckled wryly. "I can definitely relate," he muttered, his tone becoming a little dark. "Who knows when the next Angel will show up..."
Rei's frown deepened. "Indeed," she replied.
After a moment's pause, Ikari-kun spoke again. "I wonder if Soryu-san is going to mellow out any time soon," he murmured. "I get why she has a reputation for being... intense."
"That is doubtful," she replied softly. "It's who she is."
Even though it was a concern most likely born out of their duties his words caused that brewing jealousy she felt to spike. She hated feeling this way but thinking about the two of them being close like they had been in her past life upset her. The mental image of the pair holding hands like she had done with him filled her with profound sadness. She didn't understand why this was, all she knew was she wanted it to stop...
"Hey," Ikari-kun spoke up. "So... do remember what that game show was called that we watched the other night after dinner?" he asked.
She smiled. At least she could still enjoy moments like these... "I cannot recall," she replied. "But it was enjoyable."
Kensuke had gotten to school early. He was in quite a good mood considering how much money he was making on the wares he was now selling. His father had always told him he'd make a good entrepreneur if he set his mind to it and boy had he set his mind to it...
By the previous day's end everyone in school was gossiping about the new foreign girl. Asuka! Asuka! She was the talk of the entire school, how she was so gorgeous with her long red hair... Naturally he'd decided to capitalize on her popularity and put his hard honed camera skills to work snapping candid photos of the new foreign transfer and selling them. It was a... questionable business practice but his military otaku hobbies were quite expensive. What he was doing was no different than those paparazzi photographers were doing he justified to himself so where was the harm?
At present, he and Touji were sitting near the courtyard, Touji looking through his negatives and himself sitting and counting the money they'd made between yesterday and the morning so far. Touji held up a sheet of negatives to the sky above. "Man, you got an eye for this," he mused. "Too bad none of these show her real personality."
"Yeah," Kensuke replied with a chuckle. "Before Ayanami pulled her away she was about to really let you have it."
"I don't see why," he replied, crossing his arms. "I'd just never seen a real foreigner before is all. Pardon me for staring..."
Kensuke smirked. "I bet you wouldn't have been staring at her like that if Horaki-san had been watching you..." he drawled.
"Shut up," Touji hissed. "Tell you what, they'd both kill us if they knew we were doing this," he added, pointing to the negatives in his hand.
Kensuke frowned. "You probably have a point..." he muttered.
Shinji had just reached the school's front gates with Ayanami by his side which meant that the pleasant walk and conversation with her was nearing its end. At least he could look forward to talking with her at lunch and the walk home and maybe even dinner if she wasn't busy...
The previous day's conversation with Touji and Kensuke kept crept back into his mind. After he'd said goodbye to Ayanami in the evening he'd thought back to what they'd said in the classroom... Maybe there was some truth in their teasing words and if that was really the case... that was terrifying. He glanced at the blue haired girl beside him, and his eyes lingered for a moment on that soft ghost of a smile she wore when she was close to him. Suddenly that smile which had been such a comfortable thing to see also filled him with an intense anxiety. No! No... he would not entertain that notion. It was stupid to think that she could really... like him as more than a friend. What reason did she have to catch romantic feelings for a pathetic jerk like him? He frowned and pushed those thoughts out of his mind... He must be off his gourd to even entertain that notion. Kensuke and Touji talked nonsense on the daily, why would that conversation be any different?
"Guten morgen you two," rang Soryu's distinctive voice coming from just behind them, taking him off guard.
Both he and Ayanami turned around to see her smirking visage sauntering up to them. "G- guten morgen," he stammered in reply, unsure of what else to say other than repeat her greeting.
"Good morning," Ayanami said softly. It was subtle but he could tell that the redhead's presence made her just a little nervous.
Soryu's smirk wavered for a moment. "Hey, why are you both so gloomy?" she asked in a smug tone whilst falling in beside them. "Not happy to see me? I'm only the talk of the school now!"
Shinji stiffened. After his first meeting with her yesterday, he wasn't quite sure how to talk with Soryu without it resulting in her anger. Thankfully Ayanami answered her because he honestly did not know what to say to her... "We are not displeased to see you," she replied. "You simply startled us."
"Oh, you both need to loosen up!" Soryu said with a grin and giving him a nudge in his ribs with her elbow. She stepped past them and spoke over her shoulder with a wave. "I'll be going now, I was hoping to see Hikari before class starts. See you both in there."
Shinji watched her go. "So cocky..." he murmured to himself.
"She is quite prideful," Ayanami commented.
Shinji looked away from the departing redhead and a small crowd caught his eye. Off to the side of the school building was a small group of boys crowded around Touji and Kensuke and it appeared that his two friends were selling something to them. Curiosity soon got the better of him and he decided to see what it was they were doing. He turned to Ayanami. "Hey, I'm gonna see what Touji-kun and Kensuke-kun are doing," he said.
Ayanami nodded. "Very well," she said. "I will see you in class."
She started to walk away and he called out after her. It was kind of embarrassing but since there was no one directly around them he supposed now was a good time to do it. "Wait," he called softly.
Ayanami paused and looked at him with a somewhat perplexed expression. He reached into his school bag and pulled out a bento box, handing it to her. Her expression immediately became one of surprise. "Why are you giving me your lunch?" she asked.
He smiled awkwardly and scratched at the back of his neck. Why did this have to be so awkward? He was trying to do something nice for her... "Well... you're always having part of mine," he replied. "I- I figured I'd just make you a whole one."
Her lips parted ever so slightly and her cheeks took on a light pink shade. For a moment he was worried that she would protest out of embarrassment or reject it on the grounds it was such a forward gesture. Then, after a pause, she spoke. "Th- thank you," she stammered.
His own cheeks began to heat up. It really was kind of embarrassing... gratitude was still not something he was used to receiving. "Y- you're welcome," he stuttered.
Ayanami nodded sharply and swiftly turned around, heading for the building. He watched her go for just a moment and he could have sworn she had a bit more pep in her step. He shook his head. You're imagining things, Shinji. he thought to himself, pushing that notion out of his mind.
He swiftly made his way to where Kensuke and Touji sat just as one of the people in the small crowd handed Kensuke a few bills and left with something in their hand. Shinji focused in on the item and it appeared to be a photograph of some kind. "What are you guys doing?" he asked.
The other boys moved away and his two friends looked up at his with a surprised look. "Oh Shin-man!" Touji exclaimed nervously. "I didn't see you there..."
"Yeah, Shinji-kun," Kensuke added. "Don't sneak up on us like that."
He looked down at Kensuke's lap and saw the dozens of photos of Soryu and instantly felt a nauseating sensation in his stomach. "Are you selling photos or Soryu-san?" he asked even though he knew the answer already.
Kensuke laughed nervously. "Y- yeah," he stammered. "But it's not what you think!"
"Yeah," Touji added. "It's not like we're selling dirty pics or anything..."
Shinji took in their weak explanation. Even if that was the case it was still questionable. No, it was still exploitative. He certainly would be very upset if they were selling photos of Ayanami without her knowledge... the thought of that churned his stomach. As hard as it was to do, standing up to his friends or anyone for that matter, he had to put his foot down. "It's still vile..." he returned half under his breath.
"Hey man, there's money to be made," Kensuke countered. "It's no different than celebrity paparazzi..."
Shinji's eyebrows knit up. He had heard enough and frowned at his glasses wearing friend before turning to look at Touji. He hated to take such a low route to make his point but it would certainly be effective. "What would you think if someone were selling photos of Horaki-san?" he asked.
Touji's eyes widened for a second before his expression turned to anger. He snapped his attention to Kensuke. "What did you tell Shin-man?" he snarled which caused the nerdy boy to recoil. "It's not like that!"
Shinji couldn't back down, not after his point had already been made clear. He frowned down at the both of them. "Do you get my point though?" he pressed, his voice wavering. "It's low..."
The pair hung their heads. "Yeah..." Kensuke replied after a moment, looking down at one of the photos in his hand. "It kind of is..."
Ryouji Kaji waltzed through the halls of NERV central with a grin on his face. He was quite pleased with his new assignment. He'd just finished the final paperwork for the transfer of Unit 02 and less than an hour ago he'd been informed that he would be staying in Tokyo 3. It was certainly good news for his personal and professional goals.
He rounded the corner into another corridor and took sight of the name embossed on the nearest office, pausing to read it. So... this was Ritsuko's office. He would have expected her to have something a bit fancier considering her status within NERV but then again she was never one for fancy things. He smiled, he hadn't seen her since college so he might as well drop in and say hello. It would be nice to give her a bit of teasing for old times sake.
When he opened the door to her office he couldn't say he was all that surprised at the sight considering she'd always been a workaholic. The blonde dye job was a bit of a surprise but seeing her slumped over her desk with her head resting on her arms certainly wasn't. He crept silently into the room toward her until he stood right behind her. Gently, he placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. "Long time no see, Rit-chan," he said.
Ritsuko slowly stretched and sat up in her chair. "What do you want?" she replied groggily without opening her eyes.
Kaji stepped around to lean on her desk. "That's a fine way to greet me after all these years," he replied with a grin.
Ritsuko's eyes opened and slowly focused in on him. "Oh, Kaji..." she replied, stifling a yawn. "How are you?"
He smiled. "I can't complain," he returned. "Though it looks like you've been overworking yourself just like when we were in college."
Ritsuko smiled. "Is that so?" she countered dryly.
Kaji smirked. Oh how he'd missed teasing her... "Indeed it is," he replied, taking on a sultry tone. "Perhaps you do this because you're upset due to an unrequited love."
Ritsuko raised an eyebrow and smirked back at him. "How do you figure?" she retorted.
He reached out and caressed her jawline with his fingertips. "A woman with a mole like a tear on her cheek is destined to a life of heartache and sorrow," he replied.
Ritsuko's smirk remained. "If you're trying to put the moves on me you can't," she said softly, glancing at the window at the front of her office. "At least not while that face is pressed against the glass."
He looked up to see Misato with her hands on the window glaring daggers at him and had to stifle a chuckle. She had to know that he was only teasing her friend, he only had eyes for her after all... He straightened himself up and pulled his hand away from Ritsuko's chin and Misato stomped away from the window. "You know, Kaji-san, you're not as discrete as I remember," Ritsuko commented.
"He's never been discrete about anything in his life!" Misato spat as she stormed into the room. "You've finished handing over Unit 02, right? What the hell are you still doing here!?"
Her attitude certainly hurt but Kaji was not about to show it. "I received orders this morning that I'll be staying here," he replied with a playful grin. "So it will give us all a chance to hang out just like we used to."
"Don't flatter yourself!" Misato snarled defensively, glaring back at him.
The lights in the office suddenly turned red. The screens on the wall began flashing an emergency warning and a loud klaxon began to sound. "An enemy attack?" Misato murmured.
Kaji's confident smirk finally broke. It was quite inconvenient for an Angel to show up, it meant that he wouldn't be able to talk with Misato any further. Still, the attack could potentially give him a chance to do some snooping. It seemed like his new assignment in Tokyo 3 was already getting interesting...
Misato rushed to the bridge as fast as she could. For once she was just a little glad for a potential Angel attack. It was much more welcome than having to deal with Kaji... She burst onto the command deck to see Vice Commander Fuyutsuki already there. "What is it?" she asked hurriedly.
"It's an Angel," Fuyutsuki replied. "It was identified at sea and has not yet made landfall. We're already on first stage alert. Can you handle it from here, Captain?"
Misato nodded. "Yes sir," she returned, though she wasn't completely confident.
"Good. I'll leave this in your capable hands," Fuyutsuki replied. With that he swiftly exited the bridge, leaving her to think up a battle plan.
The automated defense network of Tokyo 3 had taken quite a beating in the last few Angel attacks. The last report she read, they were only around thirty percent operational. Should the Angel reach the city then that would certainly be problematic. She turned to Lt. Hyuga. "How soon can we be ready to intercept it a sea?" she asked.
"We can be ready and in position by the time it makes landfall," the young lieutenant replied.
Misato smirked. It felt good to be able to be the one going on the offensive. "Summon the pilots," she ordered. "Get them here as quickly as possible!"
The alert came around an hour before lunch and immediately she had excused herself from class along with the other two pilots. Rei had known this was coming but it still came as a bit of a surprise. Even though she had been expecting the Angel to arrive it still filled her with anxiety. As she fell in beside Asuka and Ikari-kun as they dashed toward NERV headquarters, a frown worked its way onto her face. She had been looking forward to eating the lunch that Ikari-kun had prepared for her while sitting beside him. Now she would probably have to eat it alone...
"Well this certainly livens things up," Asuka chirped as they reached one of the emergency lifts down to the geofront. "Definitely the excitement of the day."
"I could live without it," Ikari-kun replied softly.
Asuka rolled her eyes. "You're so boring," she replied.
"What can I say?" he returned. "I prefer peace and quiet."
Silence fell between the three and Rei started getting lost in her inner thoughts. When they reached NERV they were intercepted on the way to the cages by Misato. Asuka and Ikari-kun were led away toward their Evas and she was instructed to remain at headquarters. Having nothing else to do, she drifted through the corridors on the way to the command bridge as all sorts of unpleasant feelings simmered in her heart and her head. The feeling of powerlessness over not being able to fight alongside them hurt...
She rounded a corner in the corridor and nearly ran directly into Dr. Akagi in her haze. Rei had to take a moment to compose herself. Normally she was more aware of her surroundings. Perhaps the stress of her situation was starting to get to her...
"Oh, hi Rei," Dr. Akagi said. "Heading to the bridge?"
She nodded sheepishly. "Yes," she replied.
Dr. Akagi must have noticed how she looked frazzled as she looked down on her with a look of concern. "Are you worried about Shinji?" she asked.
It was so strange, how Dr. Akagi been looking down on her with... less contempt. No, correction, she'd been increasingly kind towards her. Rei was rather glad for it. If the doctor viewed her in a more positive light then she might be at least less of a threat to her when things came to a head in the future. She nodded once again. "Yes," she murmured softly.
Dr. Akagi smiled. "He'll be okay," she replied warmly. "He's become very competent as a pilot and he'll have Asuka with him."
Rei frowned. She knew he would be alright in all likelihood as she'd seen this battle play out before but still she remained worried for a whole multitude of reasons she did not wish to explain... "I know..." she replied.
Asuka had been looking forward to this moment. It was going to be her first battle in Japan and she damn was she excited! She flexed her hands on the control sticks of her Unit 02 as the giant transport plane flew her to her destination, watching the scenery below scream by.
Misato's voice rang out over the radio channel. "The recent battles have severely damaged Tokyo 3's intercept system. Only twenty six percent of our defense network has been restored. In addition, our operational capability for actual combat is virtually nil. Therefore we're going intercept the target at the water's edge just before it makes landfall. Units 01 and 02 will mount a coordinated attack in a series of waves. In other words close in and take turns," she stated.
"Roger," Asuka replied with a frown. She had been hoping to be able to really show off her skill and defeat the Angel in single combat and maybe impress Kaji in doing so. This was definitely not how she had desired the battle to go... "This sucks," she lamented, making sure she was on the channel so Shinji could hear her. "My first fight in Japan and she won't let me do it alone. How come I have to bring you along?"
"That's just procedure," he replied cheerfully. "Two against one is definitely better odds."
Her lips curled in contempt. What kind of an Eva pilot was he? So passive and accepting of things... where was his call to glory? "Well let me tell you this, Third Child, stay out of my way down there," she hissed before closing the communication channel. Damn what Rei saw in him or the fact that he'd killed three Angels, he didn't have a fighter's spirit! "His selection as a pilot must have been a joke..." she grumbled to herself.
Moments later they reached the target area. She felt her Eva slide off the roller rack beneath the flying wing that had carried her to the target. She plunged to the earth and came to rest with a crash that shook the earth, her Eva in a crouching pose. Half a second later Unit 01 touched down about a hundred meters to her right. Thankfully a whole support network of trucks carrying power cables and weapons were waiting for them when they hit the beach. A pair of trucks docked their Evas to their respective power supplies and they both picked up weapons. Shinji picked up a pallet rifle while Asuka chose a lance for herself. She wanted to get close... "I know it's procedure but two against one isn't a fair fight..." she whined.
The radio channel squawked to life in her cockpit. "We don't have a choice," Misato stated flatly. "Success and survival take priority."
Though it was true, it did nothing to alleviate her wounded pride...
A large column of water erupted just off the coast beyond the partially submerged ruins near the shore. Slowly it emerged from the waves. It was vaguely humanoid in shape but had no discernible head protruding from its gray body. Its arms were stretched high in the air as if to taunt her. It was like the bastard was begging for her to come at it.
"Begin the attack!" Misato ordered.
She wasted no time, charging full speed ahead. "I'll handle this Angel!" she declared. "Cover my back, Shinji!"
"What? Cover you?" he replied.
"Yeah!" she returned excitedly. "Ladies first!"
"Don't talk to me like that, dammit!" he spat.
Still despite his protestation, he did as she told him to and she watched as high velocity shells arced out in front of her. They impacted the target but had little effect. This was to be expected, all his fire was good for was immobilizing the Angel while she closed the distance which she did with expert finesse. "Charge!" she shouted.
She hopped across the roofs of the ruins along the shore and leaped high into the air as soon as she was in striking distance. With all the force she could muster, Asuka brought the blade of the pole arm down on the Angel, bisecting it clean down the middle. She smirked at her handiwork. "What'cha think of that?" she asked, keying the mic to speak to Shinji. "A fight should be clean, elegant, and to the point!"
As soon as she said those words the Angel's flesh began to bubble and the two halves began to twitch. Its skin slid off like a snake shedding its skin. Before she had time to comprehend what was going on, there were two identical Angels standing before her. They looked almost exactly like the shell they had come out of, just smaller and different colors with one being orange and the other a sickly white. "What the hell? That's bullshit!" she heard Misato shout over the radio.
She had no time to react as the white one in the pair lashed out at her with an energy blast, sending her Eva flying back towards the shore...
Author's Notes
So begins the real heart of the Action Arc. As much as I enjoy the middle episodes of NGE I personally feel that it's the weakest section of the series. In my most humble of opinions, the real essence of Evangelion is the character development and introspection of the first six episodes that picks up again around when Leliel shows up. That said, I plan to flesh out the Action Arc into something with even more detail than what was originally present, hence why this chapter only covers a quarter of Dance Like You Want To Win. Then again, if any of you have been following this and gotten attuned to my writing style, you probably expected that...
This all said, I had quite a bit of fun doing this one! As I said, I really enjoy writing character drama. The scene with Ritsuko working overtime was probably my favorite in the entire chapter. To be honest, that one is kinda personal to me considering how much I've been overworked at my day job as of late...
As always, please read and review. I really couldn't be doing this without your continuous love and support.
-edit: did a slight tweak to a few scenes so they feel more in character.
Regards,
A.F.
